A troubled teenage girl was yesterday returned to live with her father pending her move to a centre with therapeutic supports. The girl has been described as "high risk" and was removed last month from the custody of the Mid Western Health Board by a High Court judge.
She had been removed from health board custody because of its failure to alert the judge that she had gone missing many times over a five-month period.
Earlier, the 16-year-old girl told Mr Justice Kelly she was "extremely confused" and "frustrated". "I just feel like I don't know where I'm going, that I can't make any decision because I don't have any information."
She said she would like to return to her father and siblings until another placement was arranged. She did not wish to remain in the State remand centre where she has been since last month.
She accepted she needed help following the death of her mother and because of other activities she had afterwards engaged in.
The girl was placed in the custody of the health board last April but went missing for three weeks last August and, on average, every one in three nights until December.
The board failed to alert the court to the girl's disappearances but the court became aware of the situation after the child's aunt wrote to Mr Justice Kelly expressing fears for her niece's safety.
After receiving the aunt's letter, Mr Justice Kelly listed the case on December 18th.
A MWHB official gave evidence of the efforts made to secure an appropriate place for the girl. He said options in the UK were examined but there were legal difficulties with placing the girl there.
Ruling on the matter, the judge said the death of the girl's mother in tragic circumstances had had an enormous impact.
There was no doubt the girl required considerable therapeutic input in a residential unit but her co-operation was required. Such a facility would not be available for a few weeks. He said there was a risk involved in returning the girl to her father's home. But she had given undertakings to observe a curfew.
If there was a breakdown of the scheme, the girl would be returned to the remand centre. He said the girl would remain in the custody of her father and aunts but the health board would also have custody in relation to providing supports and facilities for her.
He returned the case to January 30th.
